Abstract

Introduction: During the management of a patient with bladder cancer, the aim of a clinician is to

diagnose the tumor with a most sensitive and least invasive method. Cystoscopy and urine cytology are

standard practice in following these patients; however, cystoscopy is invasive, and urine cytology has low

sensitivity. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of the humoral immunity

in the bladder cancer patients by means of measuring serum levels of immunoglobulins, complements and Creactive

protein pre and postoperatively compared with controls.

Materials and Methods: Blood and urine samples were taken from both tumor and control patients

preoperatively and from only tumor patients at postoperative 1 and 3 months. Urine samples were examined

immediately for microscopic examination and culturing. Serum samples were stored at -80°C in a deep freeze

till processing and assessed blindly by same person at the end of the study. Patients who preoperatively

received intravesical BCG instillation therapy, radiotherapy or chemotherapy for their bladder carcinoma

diseases were not included in tumor group. Patients who underwent a transurethral procedure for a nonneoplastic

genitourinary disease and did not have any documented cancer, served as controls.

Results: Mean ages of tumor (20 pts; 1 female, 19 males) and control (41 pts; 3 females, 38 males) patients

were 64.2±9.9 and 63.7±8.9, respectively (p=0.846). All tumor patients completed 3 months of follow-up. There

was no statistical difference in urinary infection incidences between tumor and control groups. Serum IgA,

IgE, IgG, C3 and CRP levels were statistically significantly higher in tumor group than in control group, while

lower C4 and indifferent IgM levels were present in tumor group compared to control. However following

tumor resection, all of them decreased very significantly. All serum levels, except C4, of 6 patients with visible

tumor in their bladders at postoperative 3rd month were similar to those of tumor-negative patients. Although

preoperative high levels of IgA, IgE, IgG, C3 and CRP appeared as sensitive, specific and predictive in

primary bladder tumor diagnosis, post-treatment levels of any of those above were not found as useful in

follow-up, suggesting that these were not diagnostic and prognostic parameters for bladder tumor. No

correlation was established between infection and serum levels in both groups since there were not statistically

significant differences in serum immunoglobulins, complements and CRP levels between the patients with and

without urinary infection in each group. Pathologic stage and grade of the tumor did not correlate with

immunoglobulin and C4 levels. However, there was a significant positive correlation between stage and C3 or

CRP. There were no differences between the 3rd month serum levels of patients who took no therapy (6 pts) or

chemotherapy (5 pts) or intravesical BCG (9 pts) after resections, except C4 which was higher in patients who

took chemotherapy than in those who took BCG.

Conclusion: Although serum immunoglobulins, complements and CRP appear to be nondiagnostic for

primary bladder carcinoma, wider studies with longer follow-up and higher patient population are necessary

for more definitive conclusions.